The Other Type of Earthquakes

Today, I am going to a San Jose Earthquakes game, and I'm really excited. For those of you who don't know what the heck I'm talking about, never fear: you're in the majority. The truth is that, despite the fact that soccer is gaining popularity in the United States among children, despite the recent successes of the United States Men's National Team in the 2010 World Cup and 2013 Gold Cup, despite the fact that soccer is followed fervently, (and even worshiped religiously) in virtually all other parts of the globe, it seems as if the United States is the last frontier, still not diagnosed with "fútbol fever" which rages throughout the rest of the world.

But we don't have an antidote.

And the force which is paving the way for a new generation of sports in the U.S. is the United States' own domestic league: Major League Soccer, or MLS. A league which you may have heard of at one point, but you weren't entirely sure if it existed or not is still here. And unlike the ill-fated North American Soccer League which untimely collapsed due to structural disasters, the MLS is still here after 19 seasons of play. And it is on the rise. So before you embarrass yourself in 5-10 years because you still don't know about the L.A. Galaxy or how the offside rule works, let me give you a brief a history of the league.

The MLS was founded in 1994 as part of a promise with FIFA, the world's international government for all things soccer, that the United States would create a domestic league. When the league first kicked off in 1996, ten teams battled for a title, wearing absolutely hideous uniforms and playing in "stadiums" which are usually reserved for collegiate football or minor league baseball. The league enjoyed good attendance in its first couple years, but as the first crop of players began to retire, and the glamour of a "new league" started to fade, the MLS, as all new major sports leagues, had to contract. Two teams from Florida, the Tampa Bay Mutiny and the Miami Fusion, were dismissed in 2002 due to administration conflicts. This contraction was the symbol of the "dark ages" of MLS, a time period from about 2000-2005. In this time, the league's best players were either retiring due to old age or leaving for Europe while they still had youth. The attendance levels were setting record lows, and the league decided to play the system much more carefully, so as to avoid the disparities between teams which led to the NASL's demise. 

Economists predicted that the league would be extinct by 2007. They were wrong. Instead of the year encrusted on the league's tombstone, 2007 became the first year of "MLS 2.0." And this was because of one factor: Beckham. David Beckham. With his signature, the league began to evolve into its current healthy status. Wherever Beckham played, the game sold out, which brought more money into the league. This money was used to keep players grounded from foreign interest with healthier contracts. Teams began to erect state-of-the-art soccer-specific stadiums to host their games, a bid contrast to the poor quality facilities of yesteryear.The quality of the game improved, to such a degree that the league began to attract interest from other fans outside of the U.S.

Perhaps the biggest example of MLS' recent growth is Sporting Kansas City's move from a minor league ballpark (left) to their own soccer-specific stadium (right). 

I'm not saying that the league is there yet, but it is getting better every year. As of 2012, the MLS' average attendance is higher than that of both the NBA and the NHL. The MLS ranks 7th in the world in average attendance, more than both the French and Dutch leagues. And with the emergence of new sports television networks such as NBC Sports Network and FOX Sports 1, MLS television contracts have gotten larger and more lucrative. So we're on our way.

I only became a fan of MLS in 2011, when my father and I went to an Earthquakes game in 2011. The Quakes may have lost 2-1, but I instantly became hooked. I could not stop following soccer. Supporting the Earthquakes in their record-breaking 2012 season was one of the greatest experiences in my life thus far, and I can't wait for the memories which have yet to be had. 

Because Major League Soccer is simply something special. 

What's In a Story

I enjoy a good story. I love the character development, the contrast in tone and setting, the self immersion, and the ending which seems to resolve my conflicts on top of the protagonist's. A good story is an experience.

The stories I'm talking about are not required to be bound by a cover, and people who defend that books are all you need in life are really missing out. When thinking "big picture," books are really not that old: the Gutenberg press which revolutionized printing is still in its infancy when compared to oral traditions and live performances which are as old as time immemorial. But as people have populated the planet in the last couple centuries or so, advances in technology have led to newspapers, radio, film, television, and Internet. As long as there are people living on this rock that we call earth, the list will keep expanding. While this is a heavily diversified list, all of these forms media are tied together by a common link: they can all be used to tell stories. No matter how people experience their media, even if an apocalypse should come and take all of these modern options away, the story shall live on.

So what is it about the story that makes it such an integral part of what makes us us?  Humans are a very progressive species, we take a particular interest in what can be, on top of what already is. That drive is present in all of us, which is why we all enjoy stories. Stories serve as a great equalizer- common social barriers such as race, gender, and wealth are virtually struck down; all are able to experience the power a story can bring. So many of the big religions today preach teachings through interpretations of various stories. Stories dictate so many parts of our daily life. Fiction or nonfiction, realistic or fantasy, on a screen or on a page, stories cover all bounds. Enjoy a new story today: with so many options, there's bound to be a good one for you.